Challenge
Many learners equate 'give way' with 'therefore stop', and so brake at every priority sign, even where it is not needed — or worse, forget to stop exactly where it is required. The book draws a sharp distinction here between two signs that look alike.
Read this section on its own page: Challenge: Unequal-rank junction: B6, B7 and the priority road
Core
An unequal-rank junction always has a sign regulating priority (Book p.107-108) — that is exactly what distinguishes it from the equal-rank junction of the previous atom. Sign B6 obliges you to give way to drivers on the crossing road, but does not prescribe a full stop: if the road is clear, you may continue at reduced speed. Sign B7 does require a full stop, even if the road looks empty. Sign B1 marks the start of a priority road: all traffic from side roads must give way to you until sign B2 marks the end of that priority road — B2 is therefore just as important as B1. One final variant: at a junction of an unpaved road with a paved road, the driver on the unpaved road gives way to the driver on the paved road, even if the latter is a horse rider.
Read this section on its own page: Core: Unequal-rank junction: B6, B7 and the priority road
Why it matters
Confusing B6 and B7 costs seconds on the road that real traffic does not have to spare: someone who needlessly comes to a full stop at a B6 surprises the car behind them; someone who rolls through a B7 without stopping drives straight into crossing traffic that is not expecting it. On country lanes near Zaltbommel, where sight lines are often limited by rows of trees, that difference counts double.
Read this section on its own page: Why it matters: Unequal-rank junction: B6, B7 and the priority road
Source: RVV 1990 art. 15 · checked 2026-10-22
Frequently asked questions
‘Sign B6 means you are required to come to a full stop before the junction’ – is that true?
No. 'If you are required to stop, the sign is not B6 but B7.' B6 = give way to crossing traffic without a mandatory full stop; only B7 forces a stop
‘Once you have passed sign B1 (start of the priority road), you keep priority at every following junction until the end of your journey’ – is that true?
No. Sign B1 applies 'until sign B2 indicates the end of the priority road'. Priority on a priority road is therefore a bounded stretch between B1 and B2, not a permanent status
‘At a junction of an unpaved road with a paved road, the driver on the unpaved road has priority, because that road is harder to drive on’ – is that true?
No. At a junction of an unpaved road with a paved road, the driver on the unpaved road gives way to the one on the paved road, even if that is a horse rider
‘A horse rider does not drive a vehicle, so from an unpaved road you only have to give way to vehicles on the paved road, not to a rider’ – is that true?
No. At a junction of an unpaved and a paved road, the driver on the unpaved road gives way to the road user on the paved road, even if that is a horse rider
‘If the crossing road looks empty, you may drive on at sign B6 without paying attention to that road’ – is that true?
No. B6 still requires you to assess whether the road is clear before continuing
